The Valley
by Jazzmaster
Summary: A Calicia fanfic. Clark meets Alicia for the first time in years, and soon discovers new feelings for her. But as ever, things between them may be too complicated for it to work out.
1. Chapter 1

Title/Link: The Valley  
Author: Jazzmaster  
Pairing(s): Clark and Alicia  
Rating: PG   
Short summary: Clark meets Alicia for the first time in years, and soon discovers new feelings for her. But as ever, things between them may be too complicated for it to work out.

I think I was six the first time I saw him. I don't remember it so well now, but he was standing in a circle of stone, calling out to me… At first he was calm as he pleaded with me to help him. It didn't take long for him to lose his temper though. Even back then I knew he couldn't leave the circle, not if I didn't want him to. I have no idea why that was.

I keep telling myself that's why I called him here, but really, that's just the excuse I've been waiting for. It's been so long since I last saw him. He must have changed a lot in that time, I suppose. He'll be in college now, I bet. Time was when that looked like a certainty for me as well, but that seems like another life now. Another Alicia Baker.

My new home is better that the last at least. I'm no longer kept in a cell, not as such. I'm free to roam the grounds as I please, although there's someone watching me all the time. My own personal team of stalkers – I suppose you might consider that a fitting punishment. There aren't many people around to talk to. Most of them are older, and a lot of them aren't even coherent when they talk. There is Stacy of course, who'd just have been out of high school herself if it wasn't for… well, if it wasn't for what happened. We tend not to get along that well though. She sees me as a rival, though a rival to what I haven't the slightest idea.

I think she was affected by the meteor rocks as well. I don't know for certain; I've had to piece a lot of information together from random conversations. I'm not sure what her power is, but I think she used them to hurt someone. We have more in common than she might think, then. I can't see any sign of something restricting her powers though. Everyone can see mine clearly enough; a lead bracelet around my arm preventing me from just teleporting out of here. The stalking gang wouldn't appreciate that.

And there's him. He's what convinced me to reach out to Clark after all this time. I've thought about Clark a lot over the years, but I'd begun to accept that I'd never see him again. I suppose it's a fine line to walk; the doctors tell me I'm a lot better now, but I still think about him even now. It worries me. How can I think about it objectively? Am I really over my obsession, or is it still lying in my mind waiting to be fed? All I know for sure is that the bad feelings are gone. I'd rather cut off my arm that hurt Lana or anyone else. Although I suppose cutting of my arm would separate me from the bracelet and let me use my abilities, so it wouldn't be all bad anyway. Still, there are only good feelings left when I think of Clark. I wish I had a picture of him… I've only seen him in my mind these past few years. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to seeing him again.

"I hear you have a visitor today, Alicia. I must say, you look beautiful. They must be very special to you, for you to make such an effort."

The man speaking to me only showed up a couple of days ago. I didn't recognise him right away; it was so long ago. But since then I've become more and more certain. He's the man I saw when I was just a little girl who had no interest in boys whatsoever. The man I was so sure was trapped in the circle. So I got overconfident that night, years ago. Allowed myself to get too close. When he grabbed me, I screamed. Then I teleported away.

He's here, and I'm sure he recognises me. I don't know what he wants, and I don't know how he got out. No that's wrong – I know exactly how he got out. Some other little girl came alone, some other girl got just a little too close… and some other girl wouldn't just be able to teleport to safety. I didn't know who else to turn to. I turned to him often in my thoughts – he's given me such strength over the years. But now I need him here. I could hardly try to explain the situation to the staff after all. That's the kind of thing that can get a girl taken back to a pretty little cell and start the whole damn thing over again.

I was offering a reply to the man (or whatever he is – he hasn't aged a day since then) but I trailed off mid-sentence. Because that's when Clark came back into my life.


	2. Reunion

By this stage of my life I've kind of come to expect the unexpected. When you find out you're an alien, your home planet was destroyed and you were sent to Earth perhaps to conquer it, little things doesn't exactly catch you by surprise. Even so, Alicia Baker wasn't someone I had ever thought to hear from again. It had been a long time since I'd even thought about her.

I never forgot about her through high school. Even that night at the prom, I spared a thought for Alicia. I suppose that sounds horribly pitying, but I sincerely wished she could have been there. Not, of course, as I had known her in the end… that would have complicated an already overcomplicated prom night. But I always thought there was another side to Alicia, one that had somehow been shared with me and me alone. I don't think the girl I went on that date with, who lay on top of me in my bed one night, was a total fabrication. It's always been my belief that that girl is a lot closer to the real Alicia Baker than the one who used Kryptonite on me and tried to kill Lana. The prom was a wonderful night (all things considered), and she deserved to have a part of it. I guess it comes from being friends with two girls for so long… you come to understand that every girl should have her prom night.

Alicia wasn't well back then though. She was lonely, something I could certainly relate to, but she'd also been infected by the same thing she used against me. My family and I were able to get used to my abilities gradually, while hers happened overnight. It was me who brought the meteor rocks to Smallville, and I can't help but feel that they stole Alicia's sanity away much as they stole the life of Lana Lang's parents. I also can't help but feel partly responsible, no matter how much my father tries to convince me otherwise.

Two orderlies escorted me through the institute. I have to say the place was a step-up from Bellreeve; this was a place that offered at least a few home comforts. I could see various bookshelves lining the walls, though most of the patients I saw were currently gathered round watching the television. Not Alicia; she was sitting on a chair, a book in her lap, engaged in conversation with a man about my age. She stopped when she saw me, and as she turned and smiled at me I once again failed to expect the unexpected. My heart skipped a beat.

"Clark, I'm so glad you could make it," she said, totally forgetting the other guy and letting the book drop to the floor. I kind of smiled lamely at her (although compared to Alicia's most smiles would have looked pretty lame; she has a smile to die for) and she wrapped her arms around my neck in an embrace. She leaned her face close into mine and I could feel her breasts pressing against my chest… then the orderlies pulled us apart.

"I got your message."

Her eyes were locked onto my face; feeling more was expected from me, I said the first thing that came into my head.

"So, Chloe says you're doing a lot better."

I realised immediately what a stupid thing this was to say. I'd gotten Chloe to look at Alicia's medical file before coming to see her. If she was still ill, my coming here would have been the last thing she needed. Unfortunately this was also a breach of Alicia's privacy, and I'd just let her know how badly I'd pried. The fact that she was now looking at the floor told me she wasn't thrilled.

"There's a room down the hall where we can talk, Clark," she said, shyly pushing her hair back from her head. She also managed a small smile, a mere echo of the one earlier, to let me know she wasn't completely furious with what I'd done.

The orderlies followed us as we went. There probably wasn't much here that went on without them seeing. I went into the room after Alicia, who took a seat on a sofa. I'd forgotten how truly stunning she looked. For such a long time I'd only ever had eyes for Lana… Alicia was the only other girl I ever truly… well, I suppose 'desired' is the right word.

I was loathe to take my eyes off of her, but I figured I'd better check the room to see how private our conversation was going to be. A quick scan of the room with X-ray vision told me it was clean, so I wouldn't have to worry about Alicia slipping my powers into the discussion. I wondered then if she'd mentioned them to anyone else. One of the orderlies stayed in the room with us, but he was too far away to hear what we were saying if we kept our voices low.

"Look, Alicia I'm sorry…"

"It's all right, really. Actually, I suppose I'd have more reason to be mad if you hadn't checked up on me. I'm taking a big risk seeing you as it is. The doctors were dead against it, in case there's any set-backs. They've been talking about letting me go in the next few weeks."

I could see how happy Alicia was at the thought of getting back out into the world again. There was something else I saw though; I think she was also a little scared as well.

"That's great news. Your parents must be thrilled," I said.

"They don't even know about it yet," she said quietly.

"Why not?"

"I kind of stopped them from coming to visit. I didn't want them to see me until I was cured. Also… I so ashamed of what I did to them. You don't know what it was like, Clark…"

I put my arm around her shoulders then, ignoring the glance from the orderly.

"You're blaming yourself for things no-one else blames you for."

"Yeah, right, I'm sure everyone's going to be fine with the crazy teleporting girl on the loose again. I'm sure no-one's going to hold me responsible."

"Not the people who matter. I don't blame you, for one. Your parents don't either." I rubbed her shoulder gently in what I hoped was a reassuring move.

"You spoke to my parents?"

"Yeah, I spoke to them a little while after… after what happened. They just wanted you to get better Alicia. They just want you to be happy."

I saw her eyes light up a little, and I moved my arm away. Not that I really wanted to; it felt good to hold Alicia. I couldn't help but notice her eyes follow my arm as if she were going to grab it and put it right back where it was. We fell silent for a moment, but it was a comfortable silence. I still wasn't sure why she had asked me here, but I was already glad I'd come.

"Is that why you wanted to see me? Because you're getting out soon?" I asked.

"Not exactly," she said. "Like I said, the doctors didn't want me to see you. It took a lot of effort to convince them."

"This won't affect your release, will it? I mean I don't want to do anything to jeopardise…"

"No, it's all right. Basically, I told them that I needed to apologize to you for what I'd done so I could move on from it. I guess that's not a complete lie either. I really am sorry."

I took her hand in mine, not caring that the orderly probably thought I was trying to pass her something.

"I told you: it's not your fault." She nodded. I knew she believed what I was saying, but some part of her just couldn't push that guilt away. Just like me with the day of the meteor shower.

That's when she told me what was going on, who that man in the other room was. The way she told the story was a little jumbled, but I didn't interrupt. I had some questions, but those could wait. Because one thing was very certain in my mind, and it was the only thing that mattered. This guy wasn't going to be hurting her.

Alicia Baker was under my protection.


	3. Cell

It's enough to make you believe in fate, to believe that some things are meant to be. What were the odds that both Clark and I would end up on that elevator that day two years ago? That it would break, sending us plummeting, forcing Clark to reveal his powers to another person for one of the only times in his life? If it had been any other two students they would most certainly have been killed. And if I hadn't met Clark that day, who would have saved me from the fall that was occurring within me? How out of control would I have gotten? How many people would have gotten hurt as my loneliness and despair grew completely out of control?

"Are you absolutely sure he recognises you, Alicia? I mean, if you were only six years old at the time…"

"Yes, I'm sure. I don't know how it's possible, but the way he looks at me… talks to me… He knows who I am," I told him. He was still holding my hand, so gently. He's the strongest guy in the world and yet he can hold my hand like that. It felt good, but I wanted more. Of course I did – I had been alone for so long, separated from the world outside.

"All right, we're going to have to get you out of here. It isn't safe. You're going to have to teleport out while no-one is looking."

I squeezed his hand so tightly I probably would have hurt a normal person. I smiled apologetically at him, but I wasn't sure he'd even really noticed. Outside, it was starting to rain. The flowers, trees were all finding something in common as the rain hit them. I longed to be out there to enjoy the world with Clark, rain or not. I was growing more certain the longer I was with him that the old bitterness and larger-than-normal need to be loved really was gone. It was a good feeling.

"There's a problem with that," I said, revealing my lead bracelet to him. "It stops me from teleporting. Besides, I can't leave. Not yet. If I go now there's no way they'll let me out in a few weeks. They could keep me here for years, Clark. I couldn't bear that," I said, struggling to keep my voice even. Clark licked his lips as he tried to think of something else.

"Well, I can't just leave you here on your own. I'll call Chloe and see if she can find anything on this guy…"

I reached up and put my hand on Clark's cheek, half-expecting him to push it away. Instead he held it there and looked sadly into my eyes.

"You have to go. You can move fast, but sooner or later someone is going to see you. And I really don't fancy trying to explain why the guy I was obsessed with is here after visiting. They'll think I kidnapped you or something!"

"Okay, okay. But listen to me… did I ever tell you about my hearing abilities?"

"I don't think so. What do you mean, exactly?"

"Well, I was still getting used to them back then, but I've got the hang of it now. I can hear things even when I'm far away from them. Alicia, if something happens, even if something's about to happen, just call my name, okay? I'll be there before you know it, no matter how far away I am."

"O-okay Clark." I was beginning to wonder just how many abilities Clark had… there seemed to be no end to them. Was it really the meteor rocks that did this to him? I've only ever gotten one power from them. For the first time I wasn't sure if Clark really had been completely honest with me back then.

"I'm going to go now," he said, but didn't move. He reminded me of those relatives who came to visit when I was younger and kept saying they'd better getting going, yet never showed any sign of getting their butt's off the sofa. Yet in Clark's case it was more than welcome. His face leaned in close to mine; I wanted to kiss him so badly, just as I had after our first date, but didn't quite dare move in. And then Clark pulled back. "Everything's going to be fine. I'll be in touch."

"Goodbye Clark," I said quietly, watching him get up and move towards the door, where he lingered for a moment before offering me a wave. Once he had gone I sat right there, heart beating a little too fast as I looked out of the window hoping to catch one last glimpse of him.

"So that's the guy you were obsessed with. I can certainly see why."

Turning my head, I saw Stacy leaning against the doorframe, a self-satisfied smirk on her face. There really didn't seem much point in getting into a meaningless war of words with her. I ignored her completely, brushing past her as I went back through to where I was sitting before. She grabbed my hand before I could get too far. I turned to face her, eyes blazing.

"Let go of me."

She leaned her face in close to me. I could still see the remnants of adolescent acne around her mouth.

"It was him who put you in here, wasn't it? And yet you still have feelings for him? How amusing. Still, Clark's in deeper than he knows this time."

Shaking my hand free of her grip I turned to the orderly. He was still watching me, but now he was doing so with a complete lack of interest. I was starting to realise that something was seriously wrong with this situation.

"How do you know Clark?"

"Silly girl. Who do you think it was that caught me? But I'm ready for him this time. I know how to hurt him."

The meteor rocks, I thought with some alarm. I'd used them against Clark myself to great effect. Had I unwittingly led him into some kind of trap? Then I remembered Clark was apparently listening in. But I wasn't sure exactly how that power worked. Could he hear everything I was saying, or would he only catch it if I called his name as instructed? I decided I'd better be careful what I said; the last thing I wanted was for Clark to come running here if a trap was waiting to be sprung on him. Still, I figured I could warn him if I timed it right.

"Hello, Miss Baker."

Behind Stacy the director of this institute, Mr Ronald Nelson, had appeared. He was smiling pleasantly at me, though there was a glint in his eyes that I didn't like.

"I'm going to need you to step into my office for just a minute," he explained. Still unsure of what was going on I followed him down the hall, the orderly very close behind me now. It was like he was going to grab me at any moment. We passed the strange man I'd told Clark about as we went, and I began to wonder if he was behind this. As if to confirm this idea he winked at me.

The office was fairly large, accommodating two large filing cabinets, Ronald's desk, and a sofa. There was also a large box sitting closed on the floor. I had no idea what was inside, but it was large enough to hold a person. Ronald himself was shaking his head. He had always struck me as a kind man in my limited dealings with him, but there was no trace of that now. Two new orderlies had joined us.

"I have to say I'm very disappointed in your behaviour," he said finally.

"Look, I don't know what's…"

"Don't pretend you don't know," he said quietly. "We pride ourselves on taking good care of our patients, Miss Baker. Now, we were all set to release you. We thought you were cured, and everything else would just be a formality. But now I realise you're sick, my dear. Now I see just how sick you really are. We failed you."

"I'm better, you know I am…"

Two of the orderlies grabbed me then. I tried to struggle but they were far stronger than me. The other was holding a straightjacket, which I looked at with horror.

"Don't make me sedate you. There's no point struggling now."

I looked at him, really looked at him, and saw in his eyes that he'd gone crazy. That strange man had done something to him. To all of them. They put me in the straightjacket, and I knew it wasn't going to end there. Roland lifted the lid off the box and they placed me inside. I thought of calling Clark… but I remembered Stacy's words. Besides, I realised I couldn't let Clark risk his secret here if front of so many people. I had promised two years ago that I would help him keep it. And if the whole truth was something he felt he had to keep even from me it was even more important I protect it.

The last thing I saw as they closed the lid was a bloated spider crawling along the inside.


	4. The Magic Show

Chapter 4

"So you're saying this guy has the power to… what, exactly? Be trapped?"

"I think someone else did that to him. Besides, it's not like he's trapped anymore," I said, ignoring Chloe's sarcasm. We'd been friends for years, but it was only last year that she found out my secret. After keeping it hidden from her for years I finally had to reveal my powers in order to save her. At first I was really worried, but it actually brought us closer. She'd been as loyal a friend as I could have asked for.

We were in Chloe's father's house, where she was staying for a few days on a short reprieve from her course and time at the Daily Planet. I was pacing the room impatiently while she looked through the patient files. I'd already pointed the man out to her.

"Well, his name's Edward Hall. At least according to his record, which I'm going to struggle to verify the accuracy of."

"Please, you have to try Chloe. Alicia may be in danger."

I resisted the urge to hear everything that was going on in the institute, since I didn't want to spy on Alicia. Everything was still there for me to hear, but toned down; just background noise.

"What exactly do you plan to do, whatever we find, Clark? I mean, he's already locked away…"

"I'm not sure. Until I know what we're dealing with, I can't make an informed decision."

Chloe had certainly noticed how anxious I was getting, but wasn't saying anything - at least not yet. I figured she was trying to figure out the most diplomatic way of telling me I couldn't be with Alicia, which wasn't something I wanted to hear at all.

"Wait, I think I may have something," said Chloe, sounding intrigued by whatever it was she was looking at. I moved behind her to get a look and saw a picture of a young boy in a top hat standing on a stage.

"A magic show?" I asked.

"Edward Hall, performing at his school for the first and only time."

"But there's no way to know if this is the same guy."

"Look at what happened, Clark. He performed tricks that no-one had ever seen done before, not even experienced magicians. Then he brought his kid sister out onto the stage to perform a disappearing trick. And it worked pretty well I'd say. She REALLY disappeared, literally vanishing right in front of a hundred witnesses. But he couldn't bring her back. He tried for an hour, but she never returned. The police never found her, and Edward never explained how he did it. He just kept saying it was an accident."

I frowned. I really didn't see how this was all adding up, but it couldn't all just be a coincidence.

"This was before the meteors hit Smallville… Look, it could have just been a trick," I said.

"Or maybe this guy really can do magic."

"And if he can…"

"Then he can hurt you."

Magic wasn't something I came up against very often; it was normally only kryptonite I had to worry about. Even a few years ago I could still have been hurt by things like bullets, but those days seemed a long time ago now.

"As long as I use my speed I should be alright," I said.

"Clark… I can understand you wanting to help Alicia, really. But you don't actually have feelings for her, do you? After everything that went on between you before?"

Feeling my temper rising, I bit back an angry retort. Chloe was just concerned about me, after all. I knew I wasn't going to help Alicia by acting like a jerk.

"She wasn't herself then. You saw it in the report; she's better now. She's beautiful, she's smart, fun to be with, and I don't have to worry about my secret around her."

"So I only manage one of those, do I Clark?"

There was no spite in her voice, but she couldn't hide a hurt look on her face.

"That's not what I meant…"

Her eyes widened and for a moment I thought I'd said entirely the wrong thing and made things worse somehow. Then I realised she'd actually seen something on the computer.

"Oh my God… Clark…"

Anxiously looking over the screen, it didn't take me long to figure out what Chloe was so surprised about. Even then, I don't think I realised just how bad things were about to get – for Alicia and I both. I sped back towards the institute - and Alicia - before she could say anything else.


	5. Freedom

Chapter 5

I guess we all live in whatever cage life puts us in. It just so happens that mine seem to be smaller than most. Somehow I've managed to spend most of my life locked away in one place or another. When I was younger my parents locked me away in a room with lead paint on the walls. I screamed and screamed but they wouldn't let me out. For awhile I even tried to scratch the paint off the walls with my fingernails, until my fingers bled. Eventually I gave up on that one. My parents let me out after who-knows-how long. You tend to lose all track of time when you're locked away. It was them who became the prisoners after that.

Perhaps you wouldn't call it freedom for me either; I was after all a slave to my feelings, first with someone who didn't understand my abilities, then with Clark. Clark can't be blamed for my lack of freedom then; though he too had me locked away. Don't misunderstand – I'm grateful to him now. Thanks to him I was able to get the help I needed. But at the time I remember feeling so hurt and betrayed.

I wasn't cured overnight, after all. Remember, it's been two years since I was locked up in that cell. In the early days I was barely even aware of the doctors. Clark was still my obsession, and I used to believe – truly believe – that he was in that cell with me at times. He'd tell me how much he loved me, and how he was going to get me out of this place so we could always be together. I really believed that for so long. I really believed that Clark was going to get me out. He'd realise how much he really loved me, realise that he couldn't live without me. Of course, he never came.

The spider was crawling across my face, my only companion - real or imagined - in this tiny prison. Just like back in my lead bedroom it was difficult keeping track of time. Ronald's clock was ticking on the wall, but its relentless mark of time didn't mean all that much to me. Then I missed hearing it one time as the sound of the door opening drowned it out.

"Ah, there you are. You left your book behind when you went off to talk to that man earlier. 'The Collapse of Chaos: Discovering Simplicity in a Complex World'. Interesting reading choice – I'd never have pegged someone as beautiful as you as being so interested in science."

It was him, I realised with some degree of fear. At first, I'd actually thought it might be Clark, come to get me out of here. But maybe Clark wasn't going to get me out of this prison either. I resisted the sudden, desperate urge to call him for help. Instead I was willing him to stay away, unable to bear the thought of bringing him into danger because I was afraid.

"What do you want with me?" I asked in what I hoped was an even tone. If it weren't for my lead bracelet, this box and even the straightjacket would have been no barrier. I could have easily teleported out of both. As it was, it kept me a prisoner too, just as it had the past two years.

"With you? Nothing anymore. Oh, I see… you think this is down to me?"

"What have you done? GET AWAY FROM HER!"

My heart leaped into my throat as I heard Clark's voice. I'd never heard him so angry before. I'm not proud of it, but a part of me was happy: he's this angry for me, I was thinking.

"Clark, you have to get away, it's a trap!" I shouted. I couldn't see anything that was going on; the box had only one tiny air hole. Then I heard the sound of someone slamming against the wall. Something – presumably Ronald's clock – fell and smashed on the floor.

"Let go of me. You're making a mistake. I'm not the one you want. She's controlling most of the people here now."

"You mean Stacy?" Clark said. I could hear suspicion in his voice. He wasn't ready to believe this guy yet.

"That isn't Stacy! Look, that's why I was so interested in Alicia. I couldn't be sure which of them it was so I had to monitor both. But it seems she's gotten more powerful than I thought if she can do something like this…"

I had no idea what he was talking about, but Clark seemed to know something. The next thing I knew the lid was being lifted from the box. The light hurt my eyes a little at first. If I'd been kept in there too long, I probably would have been blinded for life by it. Clark reached in and carefully pulled me out. The straightjacket was removed in seconds. I gave Clark a hug, holding back tears. It had been an emotional day, but this wasn't the time. Behind Clark I saw the man slumped on the floor recovering. The wind had been knocked out of him.

"Are you all right? Why didn't you call me?" he asked, with such tenderness in his voice I had to fight back tears all over again.

"Stacy said she knew how to hurt you. I couldn't risk you coming here and getting killed because of me."

"I told you: that isn't Stacy anymore," said the man as he struggled to his feet. He sounded absolutely miserable.

"Your sister… she didn't disappear, did she?" asked Clark. The man's eyes narrowed at that; clearly suspicious of him.

"Not… entirely, no. How do you know about that?"

"Never mind. We have to stop her. Do you know a way?"

"Yes, I know a way. It'll take some time to set it up though. In the meantime she could go anywhere. I doubt she's even on the grounds anymore."

"No, she's here somewhere. It's me she's after. She trapped Alicia to bring me back here. There's no question of her leaving until I'm taken care of."

The young man considered this for a moment, then nodded. I didn't like the idea of Clark being used as bait, but deferred to his judgement. I knew that Stacy – or whatever she was – had to be stopped.

"It's best that both of you wait here for now. I'm going to set a trap of my own for her. I'll come get you when it's time."

As the man turned and left, Clark tilted his head and concentrated for a moment.

"You're listening in on him, aren't you? Do you trust him?" I asked.

"Well I know he's telling the truth about Stacy, at any rate. She isn't just another person who's been infected by the meteors."

He told me about the magic show, and how 'Edward' had made his sister vanish. But as it turned out, something of her essence survived. It had no physical form of its own, he told me, but could take over other people.

"So why didn't it just leave Stacy when it got in here? It can't exactly have enjoyed being a prisoner."

"I don't know. Edward might, I guess."

Clark fetched me a glass of water then, gently rubbing my shoulders, soothing me as I recovered from my ordeal. I was aware that I was trembling slightly, but soon calmed down. We sat on the edge of Roland's desk in silence for a moment.

"Clark?"

"What is it?"

I hesitated before asking the question. I thought Clark might get angry, but I wanted to try and reach out to him. To give him a chance to open up to someone, the one good thing I had offered him in the past.

"Stacy's not the only one who was affected by more than the meteors is she?"

There was something in Clark's eyes then that I couldn't read. He turned his head away from me. In that moment, Clark looked horribly, terribly alone.

"I don't know what you mean," he mumbled. Taking his hand in mine, I gently turned his head so he had to look at me.

"It's all right Clark. You can tell me. What really happened to you?"

He didn't speak for awhile, and I knew he was struggling, fighting some battle inside himself. There was a desperate sadness in his eyes. I didn't know what else to say. Finally Clark pulled away, and I felt that I had lost him forever.


	6. Witch

Chapter 6

Looking at Alicia in that moment brought back a lot of painful memories. On her face now I saw the same look I'd seen many times on Lana's. Turning my back to her, I closed my eyes. My parents didn't even know I'd come to see Alicia. They'd have done everything they could to stop it. So how would they feel about me telling her everything?

My mind made up, I turned to her again.

"It wasn't the meteors. There's nothing that infected me or changed me… because I was always this way. I'm an alien."

I tried to gauge Alicia's reaction. At first I thought the information simply hadn't sunk in yet; then I realised what it really was. She wasn't looking at me any differently. She wasn't about to start running up and down hysterically – she didn't care what I was. Part of me felt completely ashamed for thinking she would.

"Come here, next to me," she said, patting the space beside her.

"You don't understand…"

"Yes, I do Clark. Okay, maybe I'm not an alien, but we both know what it's like to be different. I'm the last person who'd ever judge you for that. You didn't really think I would, did you?"

"It's not that simple. When I was a baby, I was sent from my home planet before it was destroyed. My parents put me in a ship to earth. That ship came here during the first meteor shower. Don't you understand? It was me who brought them here. It's because of me all those people were killed… and all those people were infected. People like you."

Alicia's hand moved towards me. For a moment I thought she was going to slap me, but instead her hand brushed gently against my cheek. I found it comforting.

"I think you said something earlier about blaming myself for things that weren't my fault?"

"Yes, but…"

"No, Clark. You have to let it go. The meteors may have cursed me, but they gave me my abilities too. You were just a baby; it isn't your responsibility."

There was so much I wanted to tell her then; about how I was supposed to conquer earth, about Jor-El's attempts to control me, about times when I'd felt alone and afraid. But I realised this wasn't the time, and it wasn't fair for me to burden Alicia with all my problems at once. She'd suffered a lot over the years, but her concern now was for me. I was happy to see how strong she'd become. I figured it was about time she was allowed some happiness. Figured I was allowed some too.

The last time, I was too afraid to ask her. In the end, it was her who had to ask me. I've always been kind of lousy with girls that way – just look at how long it took for Lana and I to get together. This time, however, I wasn't afraid.

"Alicia, once this is all over, once you're out of here… I was wondering if maybe, well, you'd uh, like to go on a date with me?"

Okay, maybe I was a little afraid. Just a bit.

"Where did you have in mind, exactly?" said Alicia, her eyes to the floor. I think she was trying not to look too delighted. Possibly that's just ego talking.

"Well, you've been cooped up in here for too long. I think it should be your choice."

She smiled at me, and my breath was taken away by how beautiful she was.

"Do you like ice-skating? I always used to enjoy it. I used to imagine us doing that together sometimes when I… when I felt lonely."

"Uh, yeah, that sounds great," I said, not sounding entirely convinced. She thumped my arm playfully.

"Too bad, Clark. You said it was my choice, remember?"

"Last time I ever make that mistake," I joked. I was slightly concerned I was going to look like a complete idiot, but in truth I was happy if that was what Alicia wanted. The ice-skating part I mean; not looking like an idiot. We laughed for a minute, not because anything was especially funny; just because we were happy together. When the laughter stopped, I noticed something was wrong with Alicia.

"What is it?" I asked, squeezing her hand.

"I haven't really been a part of the world for two years. Even then, I spent most of the time isolated. I was ill, not really myself. I just don't know if I'm strong enough to face what's out there. I don't see how I could have gotten this far without you."

"Alicia, you didn't get through the last two years because of me. You did it because even though you were afraid, you were willing to fight. Look at the other patients in this place. Some of them will never get out. Maybe some of them are too ill to win, but others just don't have the strength. You did. You're as strong as anyone I know."

"Thank you," she said. I hoped she believed it. I didn't want to be just a crutch for Alicia to lean on. In that moment I realised that if she couldn't believe it, I would have to give her up. The thought hurt, but I had faith in her.

Hearing Edward returning, I stood up. I wasn't sure what it was he'd set up, but I'd have to hope it would be enough to stop his sister.

"Alright, it's time. I hate to ask, but I need your help if this is going to work," he said.

"What do you need?" I asked.

"I've set up a circle of stones. We need to drive her into it. Her magic's gotten a lot stronger, so I'd rather not face her head on. Therefore I need you to act as a distraction."

As Edward knew nothing of my powers – I hoped – he probably didn't realise quite how effective a distraction I could be.

"But won't she be able to get out? I mean, you managed it eventually," said Alicia.

"How do… wait, now I see. You must have been one of the girls then. Ha, how interesting. What you saw wasn't truly me; my sister was in control of me then. That was the last time I tried to use the stones on her. Unfortunately she is remarkably cunning, and managed to take me as host. We both ended up trapped and I was unable to complete the binding spell. Eventually someone – presumably Stacy – came along, and we were freed, with Stacy becoming the new host."

"So you're saying once you complete the spell, your sister will be gone for good?" I asked.

"What about Stacy? She's just an innocent victim in all this," said Alicia.

"She'll be fine. Once in the circle, I can separate them," said Edward.

"Why did she stay in that body?" Alicia asked. "Why allow herself to become a prisoner here?"

Edward thought for a moment, rubbing his chin.

"The host was infected by the meteors. They seem to alter the mind of a person – some to a greater extent to others – but it made things rather difficult for her. It's taken her much longer to assert full control than it otherwise would."

He fell silent, looking a bit puzzled for a moment. I don't think he was used to talking so much at one time. From what Chloe found, he seemed to have spent most of his time over the years alone, always pushing other people away. He gave me directions to the circle, telling me he would be waiting nearby to strike when the time was right. Then he hurried away, leaving Alicia and I alone again.

"I'm coming too, Clark."

"It's too dangerous. I want you to wait here."

"I don't trust him. He doesn't know you're invulnerable. As far as he knows he's deliberately putting you in danger."

I smiled ruefully at Alicia.

"Actually, he is putting me in danger. There's one thing other than the meteors that can hurt me, and that's magic."

Real anger appeared in Alicia's eyes then, though whether it was directed at me, Edward, or herself for bringing me here I didn't know.

"That settles it. I'm definitely coming along. Wait here a minute… I think I know something that can help."

I asked her what she meant, but she wouldn't tell me. She left me for a couple of minutes. I was tempted to leave without her and try to resolve this by myself, but if she said she could help then I had to trust her.

She returned, still refusing to show me what she'd brought. We went together in silence, following Edwards directions. I was glad it would soon be over. We found the stone circle where he said it would be, but there was no sign of Stacy or Edward.

"I don't suppose you have any other powers that might help us out here?" whispered Alicia.

"Well, I managed to fly once. Though I'm not going to be able to do that now," I replied, keeping my voice low. I wanted to tell Alicia how incredible (and terrifying) that had felt, even though I hadn't exactly been myself then. I had never felt freer than when I had flown… strangely, it felt in some ways like when I was around her.

I never knew what she was going to say about that, because just then a form appeared in front of us. She'd teleported, I realised. Just like Alicia, Stacy could apparently now move wherever she wanted almost instantly. The question now wasn't what powers I had, but exactly what powers she had.

"I'm amazed he still thinks this is going to work. Absolutely amazed," she said, sneering at us.

"It's over," I told her. "You've lost."

She apparently found this absolutely hysterical. I tensed, ready to move if she tried anything. I knew I might have to expose my powers to Edward, but stopping his sister and keeping Alicia safe was what really mattered.

"There are some things in this world you are not ready to face, Clark Kent."

Knowing I couldn't afford to wait any longer, I charged forward using my super-speed. Before Stacy could react I had my hands on her shoulders, using my strength to stop her from moving, but not enough to crush her.

"There are some things I AM," I told her. Leaning my face in close to hers, I could see fear in her eyes. Fear that in an instant turned to triumph. I felt all my strength draining away. She broke free of my grip and I fell to my knees. I managed to turn around and I saw Alicia standing there, and I realised with horror what that look of anger on her face had been. It had been Edward's sister, taking control of her. And the thing she'd brought to 'help'… was kryptonite. I remembered the last time she had used it against me. I didn't want it to come to this, but you broke the rules first, she had told me. Looking upon Alicia now, it was the only time I didn't find her beautiful. Now she just looked empty.

Then it was Stacy's turn to be surprised; I'd acted as a distraction all right. I heard her scream as a white blast from Edward's fingers hit her back, knocking her down. I was lying on my back now, barely able to concentrate on what I was seeing. Stacy got back up, but another blast came from Edward and this one began forcing her back. Back towards the circle. Stacy cried out and launched a counter-attack, but Edward kept pushing her back, his power no doubt fuelled by an anger and hatred he had carried all there years. Hating what his sister had become, hating what he had done to her. Now trying to do the only thing he could to help her by destroying her.

Just as victory seemed assured, I heard a gunshot. With my powers, I could have caught the bullet with ease, but as it was it all happened horribly quickly. A look of shock appeared on Edward's face as he saw blood appear from his chest. He fell forwards, hitting the ground where he remained still. I could hear Stacy, out of breath from the struggle, unable to believe she'd come so close to defeat.

In front of me I saw what surely must have been every single member of staff from the institute. Someone – it looked like the head – was holding the gun.

"Failed him," the man muttered. "Had to be done. Very disappointing."

"Clark?"

I rolled over weakly, knowing I was near death now, and saw Alicia slowly regaining her senses. Stacy's efforts must have meant she had to relinquish control of Alicia. In her confusion, she had dropped the piece of kryptonite. I tried to get to it, to throw it away, but Stacy grabbed it first.

I had failed, I knew. Now Alicia, without her powers, was left alone at the mercy of this witch. Everything around me was going dark. I turned to Alicia, trying to say I was sorry, but I no longer had the strength to manage even that.


	7. The Valley

The scene I awoke to was one of complete chaos. I couldn't really remember what had happened, but somehow we'd ended up outside of the institute. We were still on the grounds and it had stopped raining. Unaware of what had happened, I was surprised to see Clark lying hurt in front of me.

"Oh my god. Clark, are you all right?"

He looked like he was trying to speak, but didn't have the strength. I knew there must be a piece of meteor rock nearby and I looked around for it. Its location wasn't ideal – it was in Stacy's hand. To make matters worse I was surrounded by the staff of the institute, all of whom were being controlled by her. It was beginning to get annoying how often I was having cause to think 'if I had my powers…'.

"Well then, what to do with you, Alicia?" said Stacy, circling Clark, holding the meteor close to him. "Killing you is just too easy. Perhaps I should break your fragile little mind, get you sent back to Belle Reeve for the rest of your life. It'd be fun to see you sitting in your own little cell, drooling and gibbering away."

Clark moaned. I had to at least try to help him. Lunging forward, I tried to smack the rock from her hand, but she nimbly leapt sideways, her other hand catching me in the face. I fell to the ground, blood trickling from the corner of my mouth.

"Get away from him, you witch," I said, trying to get back up. Ronald grabbed me from behind, restraining me. For the first time I saw Edward, lying motionless on the ground, blood around his chest.

"It only rhymes with witch, honey," she said, giggling. She knelt down beside Clark, nursing his head in a mockery of comfort. "Oh, Clark, babe, you should have seen what goes on in that girl's head! All those screwed-up daydreams about you coming to rescue her and so forth. And look at you now! You can't even be bothered to get yourself up off the ground and help her!"

I struggled to try and get free, tears rolling down my cheeks, desperate to try and get to him.

"She thought about you so much, I suppose the reality must be such a disappointment to her. And some of those thoughts were very naughty, I must say! Really made me blush!"

She kissed his forehead and sighed, looking disappointedly at the meteor rock.

"You know, this thing just takes waaay too long," she said. She raised her hand and a white orb of light appeared in the palm. It descended with a brutal force, hitting Clark's head, snapping it violently to the side. It was a miracle his neck wasn't broken from the force of it. Feeling utterly helpless, I cried out in despair. Clark's body convulsed violently then fell still. Surely he couldn't be dead I thought, fighting back hysteria. Blood was running out of his ears, his eyes were empty, I never thought I'd see him like this… not Clark… he couldn't be…

Stacy was laughing, and inside me swelled an incredible hatred. At that time I felt closer to the old Alicia than I'd ever wanted to again. Without even really thinking about it, I grabbed Roland's wrist. While he was much stronger than me, the move caught him completely off guard, and although he tried to struggle, it came too late. I aimed as best I could then pulled the trigger of the gun in his hand. The meteor rock went flying from Stacy's grip and she recoiled backwards. I pulled the trigger again, but this time the bullet hit a tree off in the distance. She had teleported away. It was strange seeing my own ability being used by someone else.

I didn't know where she was and didn't have time to worry about it. Twisting my body and kicking sharply I caught Ronald straight between the legs. His eyes bulged and he went down, red-faced and moaning. I ran forward, not looking back, expecting to get shot any moment. All I knew was that I had to get to Clark.

There was no resistance from the other guards; Stacy might have stretched herself a little too far. The meteor rock had landed a little away from Clark, but not so far away as to release him from its effects. Sweeping it into my hands I tossed it as far as I could. My spirits soared as I saw his strength slowly returning. He even began to move a little, and his eyes opened, locking onto me.

But the magical wound wasn't healing.

"Won't help," said Clark, so softly I barely heard him. He smiled weakly. I grabbed his hand, trying to make him better with sheer force of will, feeling him slipping away from me.

An arm wrapped around my throat, stopping me from breathing. Stacy had teleported right behind me before I could do anything. She pulled my head back and I could see her face contorted with rage. I was reminded of the time I used my powers against Lana. This must have been how she had felt, completely powerless against a monster.

"Let's not drag this out any further," she hissed, flecks of spittle landing in my ear. From the corner of my eye I could see another orb forming in her hand. In front of me, I saw something else. Clark was reaching up, the effort clearly paining him, and he grabbed my wrist. At first I thought he was going to pull me free of her grip, but he had something better in mind. His fingers searching for and finding it, he broke the lead bracelet that had been on my arm since I was locked away.

I knew what I had to do. I was afraid, because I knew I was going to be trapped as well. But it didn't feel like I had a choice; if she wasn't stopped now, we might never get another chance. Clark hadn't used the last of his strength so that I could use my powers to run away. It had been two years since I last used my abilities, but I didn't doubt myself for a moment. With control of it coming as naturally as ever, feeling as free as I ever had, I teleported us right into the heart of the circle.

As we appeared there my skin started to burn a little. The magic that Edward had set up was now being used against both Stacy and I. It appeared to be having a far worse effect on her, since her skin was actually starting to smoke. She was shrieking, and I saw her reaching out towards me. I could barely move, couldn't get away…

A hand grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back. I spun on my heel, expecting to see Clark, but instead it was Edward who had brought me out. The wound around his chest appeared to have healed almost completely.

"Well done. I'll handle things from here," he said, gesturing for me to give him some room. I was more than happy to; I had to check on Clark. As I went to him I noticed the staff of the institute lying scattered all over the place. Ronald was in the foetal position. At first I thought they were dead, but a snore informed me that they were in fact asleep. Edward's doing, I assumed. How powerful was he?

"Ed? What's going on? What's happening?" asked Stacy in a voice that sounded very small and afraid.

"You might have fooled me last time, but that won't work again," said Edward.

I kneeled down next to Clark, nursing his head in my hands. His eyes were closed and my attempts to wake him failed. He still had a pulse, but it felt weak. The bleeding had stopped, but I knew he had to be in a critical condition.

"And what about you Alicia?" asked Stacy. "He can't kill me without killing the host as well. I know you don't want that to happen."

Edward was muttering under his breath (perhaps chanting is more accurate) but he broke his concentration momentarily to talk to me.

"She's lying! You mustn't listen to her!"

I looked up at her, and the hatred I saw there was unrivalled by any I'd ever seen.

"Think about Clark, girl. I know how to save him. Let me go and you can be with him forever!"

"Shut up!" shouted Edward.

"You love having your abilities, don't you? You've seen that your power is only one of the many I possess. I can teach you all of them, Alicia. You can't even imagine how strong you'll become. You won't have to be afraid of the world any more, of all those people who'll fear and judge you… we can rule them! We can do whatever we want!"

"What I want… is for you to be gone," I said, and turned my attention back to Clark.

"Alicia! Alicia! No! No, I won't let you do this!"

A horrible scream emerged from her lips and I couldn't help but look up. Edward had completed his spell; now Stacy's whole body was starting to vanish. Like a cartoon character slowly being erased by her creator's hand. She was literally turning to nothing before our eyes. From her feet right up to her neck nothing remained. Only a floating head, and that too was starting to fade. Some of the skin on her face started to burn away, fortunately what lay beneath faded away before I could get a good look at what was underneath. In the end, only her left eye remained floating there, searching around desperately, seeming to plead with me… then that too, was gone.

"Elle… I'm sorry. So sorry," said Edward softly.

I looked at him with disgust.

"You were never going to separate them, were you?"

He wouldn't even look at me.

"There was no other way. I'm sorry about your friend Clark. I'm afraid there's nothing I can do for him.

I didn't try to stop him as he left. It wasn't like I couldn't use a friend, someone who understood my abilities, but I really didn't want it to be him. Besides, I thought he had a way of making people disappear from his life that had nothing whatsoever to do with magic.

I lay where I was with Clark, sobbing silently.

"You can't leave me Clark. You just can't leave me now," I whispered.

Note: Epilogue to follow soon.


	8. And Then

In the days that followed, Clark didn't wake up. He was kept in his room at The Kent Farm, where his parents watched over him always. My release from the institute came even earlier than expected and I went back home. Clark was right – my parents were very supportive and understanding… though sometimes I saw a little fear in their eyes when they didn't think I was looking.

The town was worse, at least in the beginning. Everyone looked at me like I was a freak. The funny part is I think some of them were 'freaks' themselves. Things started to change a little after the fire. Three kids got trapped inside a burning house. People tried to get in to help but couldn't get past the flames. That wasn't a problem for me. The people there told me I was a hero. I wouldn't say that, but it felt pretty good all the same. An awful lot of people still fear and hate me, but at least it was a start. It gave me hope that things might get better.

While I'm out in the open, Edward seems to be in hiding. No-one seems to have heard anything of him since that day. I wonder about him now. I wonder if he wanted to destroy his sister because he felt it was his responsibility, or because she was a threat to him. I wonder if he really could have helped Clark, but didn't want anyone around who could be a thorn in his side. He remains a mystery to me.

But it was Clark that mattered, and he occupied my thoughts as he had for much of the time since I first met him. I tried to see him whenever I could, but the Kents kept that to an absolute minimum. They caught me teleporting in to see him once and Mr Kent was furious. Mrs Kent tries to be sympathetic, but I don't think she really likes me much. They probably blamed me for what happened to him. We all felt helpless. I suppose I could have teleported him to hospital instead of the Kent Farm, but I couldn't have done that without betraying his secret. I just didn't know what to do. I don't think they did either. All we had was hope.

It was through Chloe that I learned teleportation might be the key, but it involved a greater level of teleportation than I had access to. She mentioned something about a fortress, and Clark's biological father. She thought that he might be capable of restoring him. At that point I was willing to try anything. Chloe tried to warn me against it though, telling me there's always a price when you deal with Jor-El. Even so, I knew I had to do it. I'd pay any price within my small power to help Clark.

I didn't know what path my life would take from there, or where Clark's would take him when he was awake again. The way Chloe talked about him, it sounded like he had a destiny that would take him far away somewhere. All I could do was try to follow, and hope that somehow, someway, our paths could be one…

END


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